Carriage-top.



w. I m 192127-444 6 W. 0. 'MITQH LLKZ G. A. HARRISON.

CARRIAGE TOP. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

966,037. Patented Aug.2,191 0.

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rinrr'n s'ra'rns PATENT WILLIAM C. MITCHELL AND GEORGE A. HARRISON, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

CARRIAGE-TOP.

scenes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 7, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Serial No. 506,389.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VILLIAM G. IVIITCI-L nLL and GEORGE A. HARRISON, citizens of the United States, residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Tops; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to buggy tops and particularly to storm shields adapted to be attached thereto.

The object of the invention is the provi sion of a storm shield which may be attached to the front bow of a buggy and the provision of an attaching device which permits the front bow to be swung from its pivotal connection with the other bows on the seat to a point on the dash board.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a front bow having a ball and socket or universal joint which will permit the forward and inward swinging of the legs of the bow independently so that a top of this character may be attached to buggies having their seats wider than the dash board.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carriage body, showing in full lines the front bow in position for supporting the weather shield and in dotted lines the front'bow connected to the seat; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of the front bow; Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamps carried by the dash board.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 represents the body of the buggy, 2 the seat thereof, 3 the dash board and 4 the usual top which is supported in extended position upon the bows 5, 6 and 7 spaced apart at their upper ends by locking toggle links 8 and 9 and pivoted at their lower ends, as at 10, upon the seat 2. The free ends of the lower sections or legs of the forward bow are removably pivoted to the other bows by the usual bolts as 10 and the other ends of said sections are connected at 11 with its upper yoke portion 12 by a knuckle or universal joint so that the legs of the bow may be swung to a vertical position and secured on the dash board by the clamps 18. In this position, the weather shield 14- is secured to the bows in any suitable manner, as by the usual headed knobs and button holes. The shield is provided with the usual flap covered rein opening 15 and the glass covered sight opening 16. When the legs of the front bow 7 are in vertical position attached to the dash board at their lower end, it will be seen that there is no obstruction to a person entering the vehicle from either side, while when the legs of the bow are attached to the seat by bolt 10, the shield 1 1 is removed and the vehicle presents the appearance of an ordinary buggy, the front bows performing their ordinary function. When the shield is in po sition, suitable side curtains may be unfolded to cover the sides and back and thus protect the vehicle on all sides.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion andthe minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle body having a dashboard, of a plurality of top bows pivotally connected at their free ends to said body, collapsible means connecting the bows at their arched or bowed portion, the front bow being formed in sections, universal joints connecting the sections of the front bow, spring clamps carried by the dashboard and adapted to yieldably engage the lower ends of the outer sections of the front bow to hold them in vertical position, and a shield secured to said outer sections when in vertical position and adapted to hold them in said clamps.

2. In a buggy top, the combination with a body having a dash board and a bow pivoting member, of a plurality of top bows pivoted to said member, means for pivoting set our hands in presence of two subscribing the legs of the forward bow at the top, witnesses. whereby they may swing forward 1n vertical alinenient with the dash board, and i g gf gi resilient clamping means on the dash board f x f for yieldably holding the legs of the front Xvit bow vertical. GEORGE ROGERS,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto CLARENCE P. VIIITE. 

